1. Field
This relates to a substrate damage prevention system and method, and more particularly to a substrate damage prevention system and method for use in a plasma treating apparatus.
2. Background
Flat panel display elements may include, for example, liquid crystal display (LCD) elements, plasma display panel (PDP) elements, organic electroluminescent (EL) display elements, and the like. Surface treatment of the substrates used to form these types of flat panel display elements may be done in a vacuum processing apparatus, including a load-lock chamber, a transfer chamber, and a processing chamber.
The load-lock chamber may alternately maintain an atmospheric condition and a vacuum condition, and may temporarily store both treated and untreated substrates. The transfer chamber may include a transfer robot which transfers substrates between chambers. Thus, the transfer robot may transfer substrates to be processed to a processing chamber from the load-lock chamber, and processed substrates from the process chamber to the load-lock chamber. The processing chamber forms a film on the substrate or etches a film on the substrate using plasma or heat energy in a vacuum therein. Physical and environmental conditions in the chamber should be controlled to ensure proper surface treatment of the substrates, and to prevent damage to the substrates before, during and after treatment.